Douglas, Stephen Arnold (1813-1861) Speech of Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, Delivered in Richmond, Virginia, July 9, 1852.
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00267.189 Author/Creator: Douglas, Stephen Arnold (1813-1861) Place Written: Richmond, Virginia Type: Pamphlet Date: 9 July 1852 Pagination: 8 p. ; 24.8 x 16 cm. Order a Copy
Supports Franklin Pierce as the Democratic presidential candidate. Gives a summary of Pierce's achievements and qualifications for the position of president: "Hence, as democrats, we invite the most rigid and strict scrutiny into the public and private character of Franklin Pierce and William R. King." Talks of why General Winfield Scott of the Whig party would not be a good candidate. Also does not speak well of the Whig party in general: "Not content with depriving men of their bread, they turn them away with a tarnished name." Printed most likely by the Richmond Examiner, who wrote the introduction. Folio sheet folded into octavo size with top edges uncut.
Douglas had courted Mary Todd, who married his political rival for the 1860 Presidancy, Abraham Lincoln. He also proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. King was the running mate of Pierce, who won the 1852 election against Scott. Scott served on active duty as a general longer than any other man in American history. Over the course of his fifty-year career, he commanded forces in the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Black Hawk War, the Second Seminole War, and, briefly, the American Civil War, conceiving the Union strategy known as the Anaconda Plan that would be used to defeat the Confederacy.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.